Failure, while not a four-letter word, sure feels that way. The United States bowed out to Belgium in the World Cup’s Round of 16, and certainly each player on that team has wondered how he could’ve done better.

For Chris Wondolowski, the USMNT’s “Cinderella Man”, the case is pretty simple to solve. The striker got himself in position to push the States to the quarterfinals and, after being closed down by Red Devils keeper Thibaut Courtois, sent the potential match-winner over the net.

Not surprisingly, the moment has stayed with him. And to his credit, the man is playing the role of good example for athletes after adversity. There’s no “we all missed chances” coming from the striker, nor is there a “I’ll move past it.”

“I’ll always think about it. I think about every miss. I think about misses I had against Real Salt Lake three years ago,” Wondolowski said. “It was such a big moment on a big stage.”

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“I really do wish I had it back. I play it over and over. But it is what it is,” Wondolowski continued. “That miss is going to help me. It’s one of those things that will be a driving force and help motivate me. In offseasons, and during hard times, I’ll go back to that and really push through it, because I don’t want that feeling again. It’s one of those things where you want to work hard enough where it doesn’t happen again.”

“Being a striker, it will happen again,” Wondolowski said. “I will miss another goal. I’ll also score another one.”

Wondolowski’s World Cup story is a case study in the build-up and take-down of heroes. There were equal whirs of “give him a chance” and “he can’t do it” as the roster was being pared to 30 and then 23 men.

The 31-year-old needed two chances to make a dent at San Jose and didn’t find his way into even MLS-fan consciousness, let alone national team consideration, until 2010. ‘Wondo’ became a prolific MLS scorer and worked his way into deserved consideration for Brazil.

But, as Wondolowski admits in the article, a lot of harsh criticism and personal attacks came his way after his miss, one that had him tossing these sentiments out on Twitter:

I’m gutted to have let down everyone but especially my teammates. It’s been an incredible ride but I know this will make me stronger.

There’s a special class involved in taking the fall and absorbing the shock for his teammates. Though, Wondolowski admits there were more positive comments than negative following his miss, you feel for a guy who knows he missed a major chance and has to relive it via public vitriol.

But ‘Wondo’ is throwing plenty of locker room quote-worthy material out there for every player or person who’s failed at something, or blew an opportunity.

“Being a striker, it will happen again,” Wondolowski said. “I will miss another goal. I’ll also score another one.”

Never mind all that: Harry Kane was healthy, and scored three goals as Spurs kept pace with group mates Real Madrid in filing a 3-0 win at APOEL Nicosia in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

Kane said he was very proud of the side’s performance, as youngster Anthony Georgiou and seldom-used Georges-Kevin N’Koudou put in shifts in the win. From the BBC:

“We weren’t pleased with the first-half and a couple of chances could have gone the other way. We were more clinical and in the Champions League that is what you have got to be.

“We are missing a few players but the lads who stepped in were fantastic. We have a solid squad and you have to be ready. 3-0 away in the Champions League no matter who you play is a good result.”

Kane has 11 goals in September between club and country, and has six hat tricks in 2017. There may not be a finer big striker firing in Europe right now, and both England and Spurs will hope to ride him well into 2018.

A point from far from home is not the end of the world, but Liverpool will rue its missed chances in a 1-1 draw at Spartak Moscow in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

Goalkeeper Artyom Rebrov had a stellar day for Spartak before being injured and then replaced by Aleksandr Selikhov, who was also strong for the Russians.

Fernando (not that one) scored a free kick for Spartak, while Philippe Coutinho bagged the equalizer that keeps the Reds ahead of Spartak on goal difference. Both sides are three points behind Sevilla.

Hugo Lloris flubbed an early clearance and was fortunate to see the back-bounding ball dribble wide of his left post.

Carlao could’ve given APOEL a surprise lead close to halftime but headed wide of the net from within 10 yards.

Kane nearly added an assist to his ledger at the start of the second half, but Son Heung-min just missed his effort wide of the frame.

He scored another goal anyway, and another one. Moussa Sissoko set Kane up for the second of the night, a relatively simple finish for the striker, and Kane completed his trio of goals when he headed Kieran Trippier‘s cross home.